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The Eddanor Chronicles #2
The Healer and the Alpha
Air forced itself out of her lungs. The words had leapt out before she could jail them. ‘If one must be taken, then I will go. Not Cora.’ She turned to Cora, took in her surprised expression that Iasmina could do something brave for once. ‘For what you did for me. I will return the favour.’
When Iasmina Tahar repays her debt to her cousin, she is stolen to the northern mountains by Juran, the alpha of his pack, who has a reputation for cruelty. Her journey to the north is strangled by fear as she navigates the new world of Eddanor.
The wards surrounding Eddanor are still failing and rumours of an uprising amongst the winged Atresians are spreading across the land, putting the vlkolaks in danger. Iasmina is trapped between her desire to return to Wittsturm and her heart that beats for the north.
When Iasmina Tahar repays her debt to her cousin, she is stolen to the northern mountains by Juran, the alpha of his pack, who has a reputation for cruelty. Her journey to the north is strangled by fear as she navigates the new world of Eddanor.
The wards surrounding Eddanor are still failing and rumours of an uprising amongst the winged Atresians are spreading across the land, putting the vlkolaks in danger. Iasmina is trapped between her desire to return to Wittsturm and her heart that beats for the north.
- GenresFantasy
375 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2023
15 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Chelsea Starling
14 books29 followersChelsea loves to have a cup of tea with a good book. She lives with her partner, who encourages her love of books by building her new shelves, and their menagerie of house plants.
She can be found on Instagram @chelseastarlingwriter.
She can be found on Instagram @chelseastarlingwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 25, 2024
I had this on my KU library ever since it got published but I did berated myself for just reading now.
This follows right after the 2nd book where Iasmina volunteered herself to go with Juran, the north alpha, in exchange for Cora's freedom. We saw a new different world in Carthia and the different way of the vlkolaks in the north. With the danger of an uprising, Juran needed to keep his pack safe.
We saw glimpses of Iasmina in the first book and she was portrayed as naive and just gentle while Juran was a new character and I was initially intrigued by him because he did not have the usual alpha attitude of cockiness, head-strong and surly.
At first, I was very irritated by Iasmina and how she was weak and soft however as the story progressed we also saw a different side to her as she was helpful, sweet and overall kind. Juran is your introvert no-choice alpha which he was an enigma and very interesting to read.
The tension between the characters are off-the-charts and the way Juran was so down bad for Iasmina from the start was really great to read, especially when he helped her be more independent and how he was very selfless in terms of the pack. The things Juran said, please, I was screaming, giggling, kicking my feet lol. He is probably my favorite MMC in this series.
I love seeing a whole new different world in terms of the northern pack and with what's happening with Eddanor and the new species of the winged Atresians.
I also love that we saw Fellen and Cora with a build-up to the third book.
This follows right after the 2nd book where Iasmina volunteered herself to go with Juran, the north alpha, in exchange for Cora's freedom. We saw a new different world in Carthia and the different way of the vlkolaks in the north. With the danger of an uprising, Juran needed to keep his pack safe.
We saw glimpses of Iasmina in the first book and she was portrayed as naive and just gentle while Juran was a new character and I was initially intrigued by him because he did not have the usual alpha attitude of cockiness, head-strong and surly.
At first, I was very irritated by Iasmina and how she was weak and soft however as the story progressed we also saw a different side to her as she was helpful, sweet and overall kind. Juran is your introvert no-choice alpha which he was an enigma and very interesting to read.
The tension between the characters are off-the-charts and the way Juran was so down bad for Iasmina from the start was really great to read, especially when he helped her be more independent and how he was very selfless in terms of the pack. The things Juran said, please, I was screaming, giggling, kicking my feet lol. He is probably my favorite MMC in this series.
I love seeing a whole new different world in terms of the northern pack and with what's happening with Eddanor and the new species of the winged Atresians.
I also love that we saw Fellen and Cora with a build-up to the third book.
October 25, 2023
Iasmina Tahar takes her cousin's place and travels north with Juran, alpha of the northern pack of vlkolak. Believing herself to be more prisoner than guest, Isamina is confused when Juran says she is part of his pack. But Juran recognizes the not-witch (or perhaps the not-not-witch) as his mate and sets about wooing her. Everything about the north and the vlkolak way of life is foreign to her. Will Iasmina return to her village when the times comes? Or will she stay with Juran.
I loved this book so much! Instant favorite. Iasmina and Juran were two sides of the same coin. Both are stubborn, big-hearted, self-sacrificing individuals. He reluctantly took on the role of alpha, removing his cruel father from power. Juran struggles with being part of the pack, even though he loves the pack dearly and would gladly sacrifice for them. He holds himself apart when really he just wants love. Iasmina longs to return home but also struggles with her role in society. Living among the vlkolak opens her eyes to new ways to thinking.
The romance in this is so sweet and satisfying. It was also fun to see the characters from The Witch and the Monster again as well as meet new characters for the next book.
I loved this book so much! Instant favorite. Iasmina and Juran were two sides of the same coin. Both are stubborn, big-hearted, self-sacrificing individuals. He reluctantly took on the role of alpha, removing his cruel father from power. Juran struggles with being part of the pack, even though he loves the pack dearly and would gladly sacrifice for them. He holds himself apart when really he just wants love. Iasmina longs to return home but also struggles with her role in society. Living among the vlkolak opens her eyes to new ways to thinking.
The romance in this is so sweet and satisfying. It was also fun to see the characters from The Witch and the Monster again as well as meet new characters for the next book.
April 3, 2024
✨sweet and adventurous✨
Juran and Iasmina are both so sweet and damaged, and I loved watching them grow as people separately and together. The worldbuilding is complex, and I love how much more we learned about Eddanor and the different species existing within this time around.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️ /5 - oral + vaguely graphic descriptions of vanilla
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I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the writing is in this book compared to the first. The storytelling is what brought me back, but it’s cool to watch Starling improve as a writer. (Although the misuse of quotation marks is still driving me a little insane.🤪)
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The first book was cozy with a side of danger, the second book—The Healer and The Alpha—was fraught with danger and angst, and—in the author’s note—Starling says that the third book is going to ramp up the tension even more with Takar and Florence! I can’t wait. 🤩
Juran and Iasmina are both so sweet and damaged, and I loved watching them grow as people separately and together. The worldbuilding is complex, and I love how much more we learned about Eddanor and the different species existing within this time around.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️ /5 - oral + vaguely graphic descriptions of vanilla
.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much better the writing is in this book compared to the first. The storytelling is what brought me back, but it’s cool to watch Starling improve as a writer. (Although the misuse of quotation marks is still driving me a little insane.🤪)
.
The first book was cozy with a side of danger, the second book—The Healer and The Alpha—was fraught with danger and angst, and—in the author’s note—Starling says that the third book is going to ramp up the tension even more with Takar and Florence! I can’t wait. 🤩
February 9, 2024
Boring
I enjoyed the first book and took a chance on this one - big disappointment. I think the story would've been more interesting without Iasmina, the female lead. What a lackluster, forgettable character! She made no impact on the story at all except to be a burden. Juran, the alpha male lead, was no better. The author made him too accommodating, desperate , soft, and dare I say - pathetic. His story kinda explained why he was that way, but these two characters together - one, needy and pathetic and the other who is immature, whiny, weak, cowardly, and indecisive - did not make an enjoyable read. The back story about the witches and the shifting ward was convoluted. It took me a week to finish this hot mess. Note to self... sometimes it's okay to stick with book one!
I enjoyed the first book and took a chance on this one - big disappointment. I think the story would've been more interesting without Iasmina, the female lead. What a lackluster, forgettable character! She made no impact on the story at all except to be a burden. Juran, the alpha male lead, was no better. The author made him too accommodating, desperate , soft, and dare I say - pathetic. His story kinda explained why he was that way, but these two characters together - one, needy and pathetic and the other who is immature, whiny, weak, cowardly, and indecisive - did not make an enjoyable read. The back story about the witches and the shifting ward was convoluted. It took me a week to finish this hot mess. Note to self... sometimes it's okay to stick with book one!
March 21, 2024
Great story but….
I loved the first story and the second is great as well. But I wish there were more battle scenes. In this book it’s mostly only talking about Isamani and how she is selfish and how she is kind of stringing him along. I understand her fears and what she went through of course people will have PTSD and trust issues etc but the she treated Juran was messed up. The story revolved mostly around their relationship and the back and forth feelings from Isamani. Raya said it best when she told Isamani how much more does he have to change for you when all he’s done is encourage you to be yourself. That hit hard.
I wish there was more to the story.
But overall good writing and story.
I loved the first story and the second is great as well. But I wish there were more battle scenes. In this book it’s mostly only talking about Isamani and how she is selfish and how she is kind of stringing him along. I understand her fears and what she went through of course people will have PTSD and trust issues etc but the she treated Juran was messed up. The story revolved mostly around their relationship and the back and forth feelings from Isamani. Raya said it best when she told Isamani how much more does he have to change for you when all he’s done is encourage you to be yourself. That hit hard.
I wish there was more to the story.
But overall good writing and story.
December 6, 2023
I liked the first book, but this book was a lot stronger than the first. The author really hit her stride in this one, I think.
My only real complaint is that it was a bit longer than it needed to be. I think a pretty good chunk could have been cut out to make the story a little tighter--probably the bit where they're just wondering around outdoors lol.
Good work, author. I'll definitely check out the sequel.
My only real complaint is that it was a bit longer than it needed to be. I think a pretty good chunk could have been cut out to make the story a little tighter--probably the bit where they're just wondering around outdoors lol.
Good work, author. I'll definitely check out the sequel.
March 16, 2024
3.5
Enjoyed this one more than the first in the series. Overall, I think the writing is stronger in this book. Stuck between wanting to read more about these characters and being happy where their story ended (at least with Juran and Iasmina as MC).
Enjoyed this one more than the first in the series. Overall, I think the writing is stronger in this book. Stuck between wanting to read more about these characters and being happy where their story ended (at least with Juran and Iasmina as MC).
December 8, 2024
This one was even better than the first! I liked the romance a lot more in this story and the plot development was interesting and kept me excited for the rest of the series. This has been such a fun series to read and would recommend to anyone.
December 21, 2023
Honestly this series is amazing and so well written. I am now and forever a dedicated fan of chelsea starling. Im counting down the days till the release of the next installment!!!!
January 18, 2024
This book pissed me off towards the end.
I really loved the characters, they were well developed and you just can not love Cora and Fellen. They both had a lot of trauma to get over and I loved how hard they tried to be there for each other. The world building was even better than the first book.
BUT the author did the same thing in this book that she did in the previous book, they made the heroines annoying as f*** towards the end. Cora did a super stupid thing, talking to that evil witch when everyone said she shouldn't, got hurt and then she was upset with Fellen for being angry (as a reasonable person would be if they see the person they loved getting hurt), and she didn't even give him some time to cool off and talk to him like an adult and try to understand his point of view. He froze him off, she didn't try to talk to him when she calmed down. She was sooo dismissive and took everything that Fellen did for her for granted and then she would just be upset with him for being angry sometimes, he wasn't even angry at her more at the situation, and she knew how hard it was for him to let himself be like that. And at the end she didn't even apologize for hurting him and made any amends, it was glossed over, there was not even a thought that she was in the wrong, she just cried. She didn't even try to fight for her relationship at all, from my point of view, she just waited for a miracle to solve everything and no consequences for her or for her to actually do anything on her own. Her whole arc was about getting control over her life and getting more assertive, mam' you just bitch and cry and let everyone else solve everything for you.
I really hate when in romances all the blame is placed on the male, in a relationship partners should be equal, it's so annoying to see these stereotypes in romance now.
I really loved the first half, I was so happy reading it. Now I am so upset, it's not even the author's fault, I just really hate these types of portrayals in characters and I get too invested sometimes 🤣. I think a lot of people will like this story and I am really happy for them.
I really loved the characters, they were well developed and you just can not love Cora and Fellen. They both had a lot of trauma to get over and I loved how hard they tried to be there for each other. The world building was even better than the first book.
BUT the author did the same thing in this book that she did in the previous book, they made the heroines annoying as f*** towards the end. Cora did a super stupid thing, talking to that evil witch when everyone said she shouldn't, got hurt and then she was upset with Fellen for being angry (as a reasonable person would be if they see the person they loved getting hurt), and she didn't even give him some time to cool off and talk to him like an adult and try to understand his point of view. He froze him off, she didn't try to talk to him when she calmed down. She was sooo dismissive and took everything that Fellen did for her for granted and then she would just be upset with him for being angry sometimes, he wasn't even angry at her more at the situation, and she knew how hard it was for him to let himself be like that. And at the end she didn't even apologize for hurting him and made any amends, it was glossed over, there was not even a thought that she was in the wrong, she just cried. She didn't even try to fight for her relationship at all, from my point of view, she just waited for a miracle to solve everything and no consequences for her or for her to actually do anything on her own. Her whole arc was about getting control over her life and getting more assertive, mam' you just bitch and cry and let everyone else solve everything for you.
I really hate when in romances all the blame is placed on the male, in a relationship partners should be equal, it's so annoying to see these stereotypes in romance now.
I really loved the first half, I was so happy reading it. Now I am so upset, it's not even the author's fault, I just really hate these types of portrayals in characters and I get too invested sometimes 🤣. I think a lot of people will like this story and I am really happy for them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2023
Iasmina and Juran's book is nearly upon is!
It releases on 1st October 2023. Make sure to follow my instagram for sneak peaks and giveaways in the run up to the book release.
Update 18/10/23
Hello! I am deep into book three, but couldn't resist sharing this art of my two soft babies.
Juran
Iasmina
It releases on 1st October 2023. Make sure to follow my instagram for sneak peaks and giveaways in the run up to the book release.
Update 18/10/23
Hello! I am deep into book three, but couldn't resist sharing this art of my two soft babies.
Juran
Iasmina
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews